The proposal for the architecture policy of the Czech Republic

The Government of the Czech Republic,

whose aim is to improve the quality of living conditions for citizens, particularly with regard to the provisions of

with regard to the provisions of Directive 2005/36/EC of the EU Council on the recognition of professional qualifications, based on the EU Council Resolution 2001/C 73/04 on architectural quality in urban and rural environments and based on the Conclusions of the EU Council 2008/C 319/05 on architecture: the contribution of culture to sustainable development,

and further with regard to other international agreements adopted by the Czech Republic, to which it has committed itself,

AWARE THAT

the space of the Czech Republic is co-created by architecture, landscape, and segments of nature in urban and rural environments;

the quality of urban environments in cities and the countryside is mainly determined by the quality of their architecture, including urban planning;

the quality of architecture, including urban planning, as well as landscape care, is a fundamental and immediately perceived indicator of the cultural and civilizational maturity of our country;

the quality of architecture significantly influences the attitudes and behaviors of every citizen and society as a whole, constantly and in all areas of human activity, especially social and economic;

the quality of architecture fundamentally conditions the perception of the state by the global community and thus directly determines the conditions for socio-economic applicability in a globalized world;

quality architecture is a significant means of ensuring sustainable, economical, and harmonious development of settlements, being considerate of the quality of the environment and influencing the state of the landscape and nature;

quality architecture is a manifestation of the creative potential of citizens and shapes a unique ethical and aesthetic legacy of the current generation for future generations;

the creation of architecture is simultaneously an intellectual, economic, cultural, artistic, and professional activity that touches on all social fields;

systematic architectural creation is a professional service to society, especially of an economic and cultural character;

well-established conditions for architectural creation have a favorable impact on the aesthetic and economic quality of construction, and thus on the entire economy;

architectural competitions for designs are a highly transparent, quality-emphasizing, and at the same time economical way of awarding public architectural or urban planning contracts,

COMMITS TO

1. supporting the development of quality architecture, including urban planning, in urban and rural environments,
2. raising public awareness of the significance of architecture, including urban planning, for quality of life, through continuous efforts in the following areas:

in the field of education and training

1. by supporting urban and architectural topics, particularly those focused on the harmony between architectural and urban planning activities with the values of the cultural landscape, creating sustainable urban environments and architecture, and understanding them in the context of preschool, elementary, secondary, vocational, higher education, and other forms of education;
2. by supporting topics addressing the balanced share and harmonious relationship of new architectural creation to the protection of architectural heritage in the system of preschool, elementary, secondary, vocational, higher education, and other forms of education;
3. by creating a more effective model of state support for vocational education, science, and research in the fields of urban planning and architecture and landscape care at universities, especially in architectural faculties;
4. by supporting the cooperation of state and self-governing institutions with universities specializing in architecture and professional institutions in the field of urban planning, architecture, and landscape care, and supporting the development of a training system for officials of state administration and local self-government involved in decision-making processes related to spatial planning and architecture;
5. by promoting the development of suitable conditions for the establishment of a lifelong education system for architects, urban planners, landscape architects, and engineers, in collaboration with professional organizations and universities specializing in architecture;
6. by encouraging universities specializing in architecture to organize courses on architecture for the widest possible public
7. by encouraging universities specializing in architecture to implement lifelong education programs for the professional public;

in the field of public construction

1. by prioritizing sustainable, economical, and at the same time quality-emphasizing urban and architectural solutions in construction and by setting conditions and evaluation criteria that emphasize such properties, especially in the process of awarding public contracts;
2. by establishing and ensuring conditions and criteria so that when using funds from public budgets or from EU funds, sustainable, economical, and at the same time quality-emphasizing architectural and urban solutions are prioritized for the purposes of public and private construction;
3. by prioritizing and announcing architectural competitions as a transparent, quality-emphasizing, and economical method of awarding public architectural and urban contracts or PPP projects;
4. by giving attention to the impact of laws, regulations, and methodological guidelines on the quality of urban and rural environments, architecture, urban planning, and landscape, preserving the richness and diversity of architectural and urban heritage and the natural-landscape heritage, and passing on a legacy to future generations while maintaining the living character and development of urban environments and architecture;
5. by encouraging all public administration bodies to prioritize sustainable and quality-emphasizing architectural solutions in the process of awarding public contracts or in awarding PPP projects in construction, especially as results of architectural design competitions;
6. by encouraging all public administration bodies to rely on the opinions of qualified experts when making decisions that have an impact on the quality of architecture, urban planning, and landscape in urban and rural environments;
7. by encouraging all public administration bodies to be mindful of the impact of adopted generally binding regulations and orders on the quality of urban and rural environments, architecture, urban planning, and landscape, preserving the richness and diversity of architectural heritage and legacy for future generations while maintaining the living character and development of urban environments and architecture, and the natural-landscape environment in its entirety;
   

in the area of general support for architectural quality in urban and rural environments

1. by actively promoting architecture within support and development programs for culture and care for the cultural values of the environment, and its richness and diversity;
2. by formulating a state concept for the protection of architectural heritage and the financial participation of the state in its restoration;
3. by supporting the establishment and activities of the Center for Czech Architecture;
4. by advocating and promoting the state architecture policy program, especially in the process of spatial planning and decision-making about buildings;
5. by encouraging all public administration bodies to recognize and highlight exemplary urban and architectural solutions that have emerged within their area of influence;
6. by encouraging all public administration bodies to collaborate with professional institutions in the field of architecture and local museums and galleries to promote and highlight the significance of the quality of architecture and the urbanized environments of cities and villages and their landscape and natural surroundings.